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Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

How to Develop a Theme Before Writing a Novel?

Asked by: Ashley Black

How to Develop a Theme for Your Story

  1. Seek Universal Themes. …
  2. Choose a Theme That Sticks With Your Reader. …
  3. Start With Another Story Element. …
  4. Create an Outline. …
  5. Weave Your Theme Throughout the Narrative. …
  6. Include Multiple Themes. …
  7. Don’t Limit Yourself.

How do authors develop a theme?

By employing literary tools the author embeds the theme or meaning into separate elements that make up the totality of the literary piece. Some of the more common tools of the author’s craft are: character development, setting, mood, plot, point of view, figurative language, allegory, symbolism, and irony.

What are the 5 steps of theme?

Identifying the Theme in Five Steps



Summarize the plot by writing a one-sentence description for the exposition, the conflict, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution.

How are you going to develop your theme?

You can develop a strong theme by merely writing your story and allowing the theme to emerge from your words on its own instead of forcing one into the story. Brainstorm ideas that can represent your theme.

What are the four 4 steps to writing a theme?

Four Steps for Teaching Theme in Middle School

  • Define the term “theme.”
  • Recognize the theme of a story.
  • Write a theme sentence.
  • Explain in writing, using text evidence, how the author develops the theme of the story.


What are three ways authors reveal theme?

Themes are developed by authors through the following ways:

  • What happens – key events.
  • Characters – character qualities, character actions and how characters respond to situations may all relate to theme.
  • Character development – the ways characters change, and the lessons they learn indicate themes for the reader.

What are examples of themes?

Examples. Some common themes in literature are “love,” “war,” “revenge,” “betrayal,” “patriotism,” “grace,” “isolation,” “motherhood,” “forgiveness,” “wartime loss,” “treachery,” “rich versus poor,” “appearance versus reality,” and “help from other-worldly powers.”

What is the best way to find the theme of a story?

To identify the theme of a story, you have to read through the story and understand the basics of the characterization, plot and other literary elements that are included in the story. Get to know the main subjects of the story. Get to know what the author’s view on the mentioned subjects is.

What do themes look like in novels?

The theme of a story or poem will be explored through elements like characters, plot, settings, conflict, and even word choice and literary devices. Theme describes the central idea(s) that a piece of writing explores.

What does slime mean in theme?

SLIME stands for – Subject, Learn, Imagine, Memory, Exit. Story, Lesson, Inference, Message, Expression. Subject, Lesson, Idea, Message, Evidence. Story, Life, Idea, Monkeys, Evidence.

How can I create a theme?

To create a theme, follow these steps:



  1. Open the Theme dropdown menu near the top of the right side of the Theme Editor.
  2. Click Create New Theme.
  3. In the New Theme dialog, enter a name for the new theme.
  4. In the Parent theme name list, click on the parent from which the theme inherits initial resources.


How do you write a strong theme statement?

Therefore, when creating a theme statement, it’s important to remember:

  1. Don’t mention specific books, names or events.
  2. Avoid clichés (for example, love makes the heart grow fonder).
  3. Do not summarize the work.
  4. Avoid absolute terms (for example, always, none).
  5. Don’t overgeneralize (for example, love is love).


How do you find a theme?


Well there are a few different ways let's talk about that one look at your protagonists. Journey how does your main character. Change throughout the course of the story what do they learn if you

Can two authors have a similar style?

Two authors can write about the exact same thing, and yet the styles of the pieces could be nothing like each other because they would reflect the way each author writes. An author’s style might even change with each piece he writes.



What are the 4 types of point of view?

In order of how common they are, the 4 most common types of point of view include:

  • Third-person, including: Third-person limited point of view. Third-person omniscient point of view.
  • First-person point of view.
  • Second-person point of view.


What is the difference between plot and theme?

In the simplest explanation, a plot is synonymous to the storyline, whereas the theme is more the main thought or idea being tackled. Being the storyline, the plot is what one would expect to transpire into a story, or narrative.

Can there be multiple themes?

A story will often have more than one theme, especially if it’s a novel as opposed to a short story. Short stories, due to their length, tend to only have one major theme, while a longer novel has time to elaborate on several themes at once. To return to our example, The Great Gatsbyhas several themes.

What two things should be in your description of a story’s theme?

Theme is the central idea of the story. It is better if it is a full statement, with a subject and a verb. It sums up what the story shows us about the human condition.



How are theme and plot connected?

Plot is the series of events that happen in the story, such as the hero fighting the villain or the lovers getting married. Theme is the main idea of the story, such as the idea that good always conquers evil or that true love is forever. Plot is often used to create the theme, which is why many people confuse the two.

What comes first plot or theme?

A story that is about theme is a story that has found its theme deep within its characters and used that theme to, in turn, create its plot.

How do authors use conflict to develop theme?

Simply put, thematic conflict is an implied battle of ideas. While pursuing their respective goals, characters (protagonist vs antagonist) can represent opposing philosophies and incompatible worldviews concerning the story’s main theme. As characters clash, so do their philosophies.